Pocket savings-bank.



M. V. MEHREN.

POCKET SAVINGS BANK.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE lo. 1915.

1,280,517. Panfd 001. 1,1918.

www j STATES" OFFICE- MARTIII V.- 'MERRELL orY eHIoAGo, ILLIivoIs'AssIeivoR ATo STRONGHART COMPANY,

orciiIcecio, ILLINoIs, A conPoItArIoNoI ILLINoIJs'. f L

'POCKETl SAVINGS-BANK,

y Appimationmednme10,1915. seiaiiiaeaeoa .Y

To all whlom'z't may concern.'A g .f i Beit known that I, MARTIN V.MiiriiinN, a citizen'A ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of. Cook and State off Illinois, 'haveinvented .a certain vnewand useful AImprovement `In y Pocketl Savings!` Banks, of which thefollowing is a full, clear,

concisa-'and exact description, reference be-V ing had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification. My invention relates to pocket savings banks especially adapted to contain. small coins such as dimes, nickels, cents, and the like",k *f

- Prominent kobjects of the .inventionv are to provide a; simple and practical form of pocket savings'bank; vto simplify the, cone.

struction and reducev theI cost of manufacture; to arrange for the easy opening ofthe bank by an authorizedperson, but to prevent opening by unauthorized persons; to arrange.

In theac'companying drawings` l -Figure 1 is a vertical section .of a pocke savingsv bank i embodying my vpresent inven-V tion;` Y Y Fig. 2 isa horizontal section takenl on line y A inner rim 4,- theend 15 of saidspringmem-1 Fig. 3 is a section taken between the flanges 3 and 4 lookingtoward the spring 10; i Fig. 4 is a plan view of a special key o device for unlocking the bank; and Y f Fig. 5 is a partialhorizontal sectionV similarto Fig. 2, showing amodilied form of' locking meanst andrkey for operatingY the same. i ,y

, Referring iirsttofFigs. 1 to-3, thebank shownV for carryingrout the'` invention coinprises a bottom memberzl and atop member 2, which membersmayibeof any Yconvenient form but are desirably circular, as shown in Fig.- 42. The bottom member 1 is provided with an upstandingannularrim 3 andthe top member 2 with a downwardly-extended annular rim 4. These'rim's 3 and 4- are lof corresponding shape and ofsuch size that the rimn 4 may fit and slidetelescopically within'the'rim 3. These rims 3 and 4 are provided with longitudinal slots forming,

when the rims arein place, a coin slot 5 by.

which coins may be'introduced into theinterior of thebank. `The innerrim4-is pro` Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patentaot. 1,1918( vided with 'a series, asfor example three, shown, of bayonet slots V6 having side slotopenings? Ywhich extend-to the bottom of said 'rim 4.V The outer rim xislprovlided with a corresponding series. of prongslor proj ections 8 which are l adapted to'rit 1in the slots an'd to be insertedinto thesame by V means of the side slots 7. Thus, they top 2 andbottoml may be put together `by fitting the rims 3 land' 4 telescopicall'ytogether ata place wherethey lugs or prongs 8 will slideV into the apertures or.,l slots 7 and then turning said `top yand bottom v.members relativelyl to`l one'another so that the prongs 8 fiiiove outof register with the slots 7 and thereby hold 'said top rand bottominembers from'V separationaslong, as 'theprongs 8 are outof.l register With the side slots 7.y In order to lock the topand bottom ymembers in this ycondition when desired, I provide a locking device which is preferablyin the nature of a mem ber l0 having a slot 11 adapted to engage one of the prongs y8 whereby saidprong willfbe normally engaged and held againstmovement,therebyfholding thetop and bottom members against relative rotary movement and maintaining the y same in Alocked, condi-l tion. iThe member 10 is preferably a springt.

like member, as for. example, ai stripy 12 `of spring'material secured by rivets 13 tothe or aperture 11. V.As a' preferred arrangement,

this end 15 is locatedjadjacent'to and at one sideof thecoin slotV or opening', whereby a tool orkey may be inserted iii*A thecoinslot and caused to actuate the springmember 10.l Y

-InFig 4 I show a preferred construction of tool or key, the same being designated by. the numerall. Thiskey 16Y comprises a main or body part and a pron 16*i separated from the-main" or body ,part y a slotl? vof aboutthe thickness of the walls ofthe bank, whereby the key 16 may -be placed, asfindicatedfin dotted lines Ain Fig. '2, with the prong '16" passed through' the coin -slot A5, and thenvsaidkeylinay be Fmoved tojthe right (Fig. 2), soy as to cause theprongdba to slide betweenthe end 15` andy theinsid'e of the rim 4, and thereby spring inwardly the prongs or lugs Siback into register with the transverse Vslots 7 and thereby permit vthe from one another. This permits the bank to be-opened and any coins vinsideto'be dropped out.

lAs a `preferred arrangement, "I 'also i place acollar'lQoutside .of the outer rim 3, which collar is loose. but fits vsnugly'overthe" outer rim Band is'desirable l"in orderfto coverup the punched-outportions 2O made in 'the' rim When thelugs 8 are formedbypunc'hingoutparts of said rim. The outerf'oollar or band*y 1/9fis alsofprovided iWitha slot registering With thev coin slot 5 and isalso provided With small lugslorprojections 2l iittin-g againstthe' ends of the :coinslot 5 so ,as to 'hold said vband or collar 19 in proper Position. y Y f It Willlb'e seen that lthe bank in its closed and looked Condition gives no tindic'ationf'of the vmanner in which 'itimay be unlocked,

but that thismay be readily "donefbyinsertin'gtlie key linto a suitable openingintheY Wall of theb'ank, "as` orexample, in tothe coin opening. By inserting the key,"and

sliding ita little to one sider'so 'that l*the prong 16 slips underi'the endf-ofthe spring clip '10, the bank is instantly unlocked 'so that the interlocking' vbayonet jj oint A devices on the rims' and fe'm'ay be disengaged by -a slight maniial lrotation of the 'top rand bottomi relatively to-oneanother. Theseseparable parts, in this caseiconsistin'g* of vthe topj and 4bot;to'm,1rnay then be c separated g manually, and the coins reinoved.1v-The bankm'ay be readily elosed and locked, Without 'the use'ofra tool, by simply placing top and bottom together so that the bayonet .joints engagev oneanother and then 'rotatingtop and bottom relativelyto-eause clip 10 toengage one :of the prongs 8, `vvherei'ipon Athe.

bank is automaticallylocked in closedcondition. It :will lbe'understood J that 'when thesel smalll banks aregivien out by a" banking institution the latter vvill ordinarily Mretain the unlookingkeyaand unloekb'anks asthey are rv'brought in #to Ahave their 'contents deposited. A In 1 the modification o'fdig;y 5, ythe 'spring 10 is provided1 'With an' aperture "25," 'and a key j26 lfis provi-ded,v having a hooked u end Q7 which oanbe inserted into Athe aperture?y 25.'l Thekey 26 isfprovided `lvvitlia handle 2S Whichcanjbe'held in the handsfwhilethe `shank ofthe key isbeing inserted inthe-coin slot 17 (or other opening), ViAguardQQis alsof-provided' near vthe end of 'the-'spring ll() to` prevent'ac'cess to the end Vof said spring..v

only'by a key with a hooked'e'nd orthe'like.

Tamper-ing is thereby more eiiectually prevented.

rvill be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing fromtlie spirit of the invention. top and bottom members to be rseparated What :I ycl'aini is: 1. A bank comprising in combination, rel

atively rotatablemembers adapted to form.

tomove 'into 'theside' extensions of l'said slots` when said members l'are "relatively turned, and means for engaging'oneof -fsaid projections to hold said members against Irelative rotation.

2. A .pocket savingsbank comprising top and bottom members provided With conti ous `telescoping rims `*having fbayonetf'loint interlocking devices, and means` for retaining said.l interlocking d evi-ees ineri'gagementy said means `comprising a spring Iclip constructedto engage lone of the rlocking de vices 'and *located ladjacentfthe coin slot, whereby av key may be insertedin the fcoin slotto'actuate said' clip to unlock said Ilocking device.

3. Aipooket savingsbankcomprising top and bottom members provided 4.with telescoping rims "the inner`r one' of `which* is provided vvith bayonet slots andthe outer fone of 'which is "provided Withiprong'sto 'engagek said bayonet slots, a spring clip seeuredto' the innery sideof'the inner and having and located'fadjacentfthercoinrslot whereby a key maybe f inserted vin ythe coin'slot .to actuate said clip 'to disengage it 4from said prong. 1 Y' 4. kA pocket fsavin-'gs bank comprising `top and bottom'niembers provided with telescoping rims the iinner' one of which is provided with bayonet slots and the outer one #of which is provided with lprongs 'ao-engage said lbayonetslots, afspring clip secjuredto the inner vside of -the-inner rim and having anaperture to engage-one of said prongs,

and loeatedxadjacentthe :coin slot whereby fa;

tration with the latter, and locking means 'engaging said lug for locking said sectionsVV 6. In a bank-structure, they combination of relatively rotatable receptacle-forming sections, one of said sections containing a recess, a lug on the other of said sections adapted to enter said recess and interlock With the section containing said recess when said lug is moved to aposition out of registration With said recess, and locking means on the one of said sections containing said recess adapted to engage said lug for vreleasably locking said'section's against relative rotation toa position in which said lug registers with said recess.

7. In a bank-structure, the combination of relatively rotatable receptacle-forming sections, one of said sections containing a recess, a lug on the other of said sections adapted to enter' said recess and interlock with the section containing said recess when the lug is moved to a position out of registration With the 1atter,and locking means on the one of said sections containing said recess adapted to automatically engage said lug and releasably lock said sections against,y

relative rotation to a position in'which said lug registers with said recess upon the act of assembling said parts and relatively rotating them, and releasable for permitting kseparation ofv said cover-section from said body-section.

8. A bank comprising in combination relatively rotatable mem receptacle or chamber and adapted to be separated from one another to open said chamber or receptacle, bayonet joint interlocking devices comprising slots withside extensions on one of said members and projections adapted to enter said slots on the other member, and means for engaging one of said projections to hold said members against relative rotation and thereby maintain thebank in locked condition, said bank being provided with a slot or aperture through which a tool or key may be inserted.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 5th day of June A. D., 1915.

MARTIN V. MEHREN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

ers forming a coin 

